Closure Report
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Project Summary
The scope of the Learn Foundations project was originally set out in 2018 to provide students with courses on Learn that meet their needs and provide staff who design courses with the relevant skills, knowledge and guidance to do so.
In order to achieve this, the project on the following key principles:
- Remove unnecessary complexity;
- Bring together all of the information they need to do as task use simple language, without jargon or acronyms;
- Use task-based navigation (the same model used by GOV.UK);
- Show students what they need when they need it;
- Show “just in time” contextual help, reminders or prompts, integrate existing data sources to present information that is useful to each individual student;
- Allow students to use whatever device they want;
- Use accessible design from the ground up;
- Provide additional support for mobile, using modern technology.
The project was set out across three phases, each phase aimed at supporting Schools and Deaneries as they adopted the Learn Foundations approach:
|
Adoption stage for each School or Deanery |
||
Phase One |
Phase Two |
Phase Three |
|
College of Arts and Humanities |
|||
Business School |
Yes |
|
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Centre for Open Learning |
Yes |
|
|
Edinburgh College of Art |
|
Yes |
|
Edinburgh Law School |
|
|
Yes |
Moray House, School of Education and Sport |
|
Yes |
|
School of Divinity |
Yes |
|
|
School of Economics |
|
Yes |
|
School of Health in Social Science |
|
Yes |
|
School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
Yes |
|
|
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
|
Yes |
|
School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science |
|
|
Yes |
School of Social and Political Science* |
|
|
|
College of Science and Engineering |
|||
School of Biological Sciences |
|
Yes |
|
School of Chemistry |
|
Yes |
|
School of Engineering |
|
Yees |
|
School of Geosciences |
Yes |
|
|
School of Informatics |
|
Yes |
|
School of Mathematics |
|
Yes |
|
School of Physics and Astronomy |
|
Yes |
|
College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine |
|||
Deanery of Biomedical Sciences |
|
Yes |
|
Deanery of Clinical Sciences (Dentistry) |
Yes |
|
|
Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences (Usher Institute) |
|
Yes |
|
Edinburgh Medical School |
Yes |
|
|
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies** |
|
|
|
*Have elected to not take part in the Learn Foundations project.
**Have aligned themselves with the Learn Foundations project, although small differences still exist.
Table One: Overview of School and Deanery adoption per project phase.
The project focused on 6 key work streams (with two additional work streams underpinning the approach) which spanned all three years of the project:
Work Stream |
Approach |
Deliverables |
Template |
Iterative creation of a standard template that allows Schools and Deaneries to have a consistent approach with the opportunity for School level requirements to be facilitated. |
>22 School/Deanery specific templates. >Standard institutional template. |
Checklist |
Creation of a stepped checklist that supports academic colleagues in creating courses – ranging from basic checks to ensure a consistent course through to good practice in exemplar courses. |
>1 standard, stepped checklist. |
Training and Support |
A full review of the programme of training and support was undertaken with content updated to map across the Learning Technology being offered centrally. |
>Programme of Learning Technology training. >Learning Technology Induction checklist. >Accessibility training course. >Learning Technology Training Website. |
Automation |
Core information from EUCLID was determined to be required within each course (Learning Outcomes, Course Description, Assessment Information along with Course Contacts) – A solution was created to allow this information to be populated ‘automatically’ in each course once processed via the LTW Helpdesk. |
>Automated solution to update bulk courses with defined, core information from EUCLID (manual management/processing required). |
Evaluation |
The Evaluation work stream allowed the project team to review the success of the project across all years against a standard baseline. |
|
Terminology |
A glossary of key Learning Technology terms was created with several terms updated within the DRPS Glossary. |
>Glossary of Terms |
Programme of User Experience (UX) |
To help underpin all the decisions made as part of the other work streams, a programme of User Experience was undertaken. This programme focused on both staff and student feedback and requirements. |
>Data from Phase 1, 2 and 3 UX work undertaken: -Phase 1: Card Sort. -Phase 1: Top Tasks. -Phase 1: Tree Test. -Phase 1: First Click. -Phase 1: Semi Structured Interviews. -Phase 1: Group work. -Phase 1: Usability Sessions -Phase 2: Group work. -Phase 2: Usability Sessions. -Phase 3: Card Sort. -Phase 3: Top Tasks. -Phase 3: Semi Structured interviews
UBN UX – Phase 3:
-Sketching. -Semi Structured Interviews -Usability |
Programme of Communications and Engagement |
In support of the Schools and Deaneries, a programme of communications and engagement was designed – this programme allowed for the project team to liaise with the Schools and Deaneries, listening to their wants and requirements, allowing for a partnership to be created. |
>Learn Foundations SharePoint. >School and Deanery engagement sessions. >Quarterly project updates. >Project resources (comms) >Attendance at variety of committees/papers created. |
Table Two: Overview of project work streams
Delivery – Interns
Each summer (June to August), a group of interns were recruited to support with the migration of courses onto the Learn Foundations approach (template) for all partner Schools and Deaneries:
Phase One
- 10 interns recruited on a 12 week internship;
- 6 x Schools and a Deanery were on-boarded as partners;
- Migrated over 700 19/20 Learn courses onto the new Learn Foundations template;
- Undertook over 13, 000 individual accessibility checks across 700 18/19 Learn Courses to understand ‘how accessible’ content and courses are within Learn;
- Classified over 128, 000 items across 700 18/19 Learn Courses against the ABC classification which allowed for an ‘average’ course design to be identified;
- Mapped almost 190, 000 items across 700 18/19 Learn Courses to allow for an institutional baseline for Learn courses to begin to be created.
Phase Two
-
47 interns recruited on a 12 week internship:
- 20 x interns supported the core project tasks;
- 10 x Interns supported additional CSE tasks;
- 10 x interns supported additional CAHSS tasks;
- 4 x interns support additional CMVM tasks;
- 3 x interns supported in with training and support.
- 17 x Schools and 3 Deaneries were on-boarded as partners (inclusive of the partners from Phase One);
- Over 3000 20/21 courses migrated onto the Learn Foundations template;
- Over 1000 of the above courses supported with content migration;
- Over 100 academics liaised with directly regarding content migration;
- Over 600 courses were mapped with over 80, 000 items reviewed to allow for an institutional baseline for Learn courses to begin to be created;
- Undertook over 16, 000 individual accessibility checks across circa 2000 19/20 Learn Courses to understand ‘how accessible’ content and courses are within Learn;
- 13 Schools (including 3 non LF Schools) requested additional support.
Phase Three
-
12 interns recruited on a 12 week internship:
- 10 x supported core project tasks;
- 1 x Developer internship to support mapping and automation;
- 1 x Support intern to support with quality assurance and analysis.
- 22 Schools and Deaneries support with their migration tasks with around 3500 courses: (adding/removing template/ensuring Resource Lists are correct and enabled on the course/creating discussion fora/updating subject guides to courses).
- Around 100 courses supported with additional tasks.
- 265 20/21 courses across 11 Schools or Deaneries reviewed for accessibility undertaking almost 5, 000 individual accessibility checks.
- Review of all courses (approx. 3500) against the new automation process to review accuracy.
Scope
In scope
- All campus based courses on Learn;
- Design & implementation of a solution that provides students with courses on Learn that meets their needs;
- Design & implementation of training/support that will provide staff who upload course content with the relevant skills, knowledge & guidance to do so;
- Improved integration of existing tools/systems into course design.
Out of scope
- Online only courses;
- Moodle & other VLEs although, as much as possible, solutions will be designed so that they are agnostic to platform;
- Redesign of the Blackboard Learn user interface;
- Changes to existing 3rd party systems that are integrated;
- Changes to existing integrations for 3rd party functionality/systems;
- Development of new tools/systems that could be integrated with Learn with the exclusion of Eesysoft.
Objectives and Deliverables Analysis
For the purposes of the closure of Learn Foundations, all Must have (M) objectives and deliverables should be achieved (in terms of delivery dates, compliance, viability etc.) with the Should have (S) aiming to be achieved if possible, Could have (C) being a nice to have but not needed and the Won’t have (W) not being included as part of this project:
O = Objective D = Deliverable
Priority |
MOSCOW |
Outcome (Achieved / Partially Achieved / Not Achieved) |
O1: Project delivered with appropriate governance |
||
D1.O1: Approved revised project brief |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O1: Re-baselined project plan |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O1: Planning complete |
M |
Achieved |
O2: All stakeholders bought in |
||
D1.O2: Identify stakeholders for communications |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O2: Complete stakeholder analysis |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O2: Agree communications plan |
M |
Achieved |
D4.O2: Ongoing delivery of communications according to plan |
M |
Achieved |
O3: User consulted |
||
D1.O3: Agree groups for consultation |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O3: Produce terms of reference for consultation |
M |
Achieved – ToR for Academic User Group created. |
D3.O3: Form working groups for consultation |
M |
Achieved |
D4.O3: Ongoing consultation sessions |
M |
Achieved |
O4: Identify solution(s) based on user needs & best practice |
||
D1.O4: Identify users |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O4: Gather requirements from users |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O4: Identify & define possible solutions |
M |
Achieved |
D4.O4: Map current operating model from user(s) perspective |
S |
Not Achieved |
D5.O4: Project strategy brief outlining recommendations for solution(s) & 2 year plan |
M |
Achieved |
D6.O4: Agree plan |
M |
Achieved |
O5: Inter-dependencies & integrations with Learn not negatively impacted by project |
||
D1.O5: Identify projects, services, resources & initiatives that have a dependency or integration with Learn and/or that Learn has a dependency or integration with |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O5: Document dependencies & integrations |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O5: Ongoing review & appropriate communication with owners of relevant projects, services, resources & initiatives |
M |
Achieved |
O6: Project benefits |
||
D1.O6: High-level benefits documented |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O6: High-level benefits baselined and success criteria created |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O6: Set targets for improvements |
S |
Achieved |
D4.O6: Report on measurement against success criteria |
S |
Achieved |
O7: Test agreed solution(s) to validate before roll out |
||
D1.O7: Agree & document test scenarios |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O7: Agree testers & conclude usability/functionality testing |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O7: Testing complete & test results documented |
M |
Achieved |
D4.O7: Sign off outstanding bugs |
M |
Achieved |
O8: Implement agreed solution(s) across all campus based courses in Learn |
||
D1.O8: Agree implementation plan |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O8: Agree training/support requirements |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O8: Delivery/Implementation |
M |
Achieved |
O9: Review project & document lessons learned |
||
D1.O9: Agree participants to review with |
S |
Achieved |
D2.O9: Hold lessons learned workshops |
S |
Achieved |
D3.O9: Recommendations report outlining lessons learned |
S |
Achieved |
O10: Checkpoints |
||
D1.O10: Go/no go for testing |
M |
Achieved |
D2.O10: Go/no go for pilots |
M |
Achieved |
D3.O10: Go/no go for rollout |
M |
Achieved |
O11: Project Closure |
||
D1.O11: Agree arrangements for transition to service |
M |
Not Achieved – Being transitioned into Learn Ultra Upgrade rather than service currently (TEL080). |
D2.O11: Terms of reference for additional roll out |
M |
Not Achieved – Related to the above D1.O11. |
D3.O11: Closure Tasks |
M |
Achieved |
Scope Analysis
|
Scope (as stated in original brief |
Scope Status (Scope Delivered/Partially Delivered/Not Delivered). Commentary. |
S01 |
All campus based courses on Learn; |
Achieved |
S02 |
Design & implementation of a solution that provides students with courses on Learn that meets their needs; |
Achieved – Template created and in use across the University. |
S03 |
Design & implementation of training/support that will provide staff who upload course content with the relevant skills, knowledge & guidance to do so; |
Achieved – Programme of training and support reviewed and now in use across the University. |
S04 |
Improved integration of existing tools/systems into course design. |
Achieved – Picked up as part of the template creation. |
Project Scheduled
The project commenced in August 2018 and was delivered in December 2021. The overall project schedule from initiation from completion was 40 months (and was exclusive of time spent via the previous project – VLE Standards).
Key Milestones
The below table highlights the key, major milestones reviewed within the Learn Foundations project. All other milestones can be located on the projects website.
Key Milestone |
Base Line Due Date |
Final Completion Date |
Project strategy brief outlining recommendations for solution(s) & 2 year plan (Major) |
31/08/2018 |
31/08/2018 |
End of Planning |
18/09/2018 |
05/10/2018 |
End of Detailed Planning |
23/11/2018 |
30/11/2018 |
Agree Detailed Plan |
23/11/2018 |
30/11/2018 |
Phase One: LIVE Learn Completed (Delivery - Major) |
06/05/2019 |
10/06/2019 |
Project Closure |
29/01/2021 |
31/01/2022 |
Analysis of Resource Usage:
Budget Evolution
|
Date Changed |
Budget (days) |
|
|
250 |
|
8th October 2018 |
485 |
|
25th November 2020 |
500 |
|
20th May 2021 |
513 |
|
7th December 2021 |
518 |
Final Spend Analysis by Team – Applications Directorate
Team |
Sum of Actual Effort/1d |
Project Services |
461 |
Development Technology (including S/W and Dev Tech) |
54 |
Production Management |
1 |
Grand Total |
518 |
For a more detailed spend analysis (applications spend), refer to the analysis stored on the Learn Foundations SharePoint (open to project team colleagues only)
Explanation for Variance
Due to the nature of the Learn Foundations project, it was difficult to estimate the overall resource requirements – especially for the programme of communications and Engagement along with the programme of User Research.
It is worth noting that industrial action and the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the delivery of various aspects of the project and were mitigated against where possible.
In addition, the following also caused an impact and saw an increased budget requirement:
- Requirement for the full time Project Manager for the full duration of the project rather than the initial plan where the third and final year would see a part time effort requirement.
- Lack of experience of Rest APIs within the Software Development team meant additional effort was required to understand how these worked in relation to the Learn Virtual Learning Environment.
Outcome
The project was delivered on time and within budget.
Key Learning Points
What went well
- Academic and Engagement – Continuity of the Learn Foundations brand: It was felt that Learn Foundations moved from ‘just a project’ to becoming more of a ‘brand’ that colleagues within the Schools and Colleges were aware of and meant something to those colleagues. It was felt that it would be a success story to continue the ‘Learn Foundations branding’ into the new ‘Learn Ultra Upgrade’ project.
- User Experience (UX) – Data: Having the UX data to validate the decisions being made by the project was one of the bigger wins of the project as it provided academics with the information, they were looking for in order to begin trusting the outputs of the project.
- Student workers: Throughout the duration of the project, the project recruited over 60 students for 3-month internships across each summer. From those students, 9 were returning – working with the project for more than 1 internship.
- Accessibility reports: During the student internships, the interns were tasks with undertaken accessibility reviews. Reviewing pre-selected courses against an accessibility criteria where outputs were shared with Schools and Deaneries via an accessibility report. Across all 3 internships, over 3850 courses were reviewed with over 400, 000 individual checks undertaken.
- Network of local Learning Techs and Professional Services colleagues: The success of Learn Foundations was in part due to the various networks nurtured across the duration of the project. These network of contacts across the University were critical to gaining insights and feedback from our partner Schools and Deaneries. In particular the relationships harnessed with local Learning Technologists and Professional Services Staff was fundamental in ensuring Schools and Deaneries received the best possible experience during their working partnership with the project.
- Engaged Academic User Group: During the second year of the project, an Academic User Group was set up with the initial goal of providing the academic voice. At the end of the final AUG meeting, the group were asked if they would be interested in continuing membership of the group into the Learn Ultra Upgrade project – interested was noted.
- Opportunities to feed in and influence: Learn Foundations has been in a fortunate position to be able to feed into various items of wok/projects and influence the direction of travel based on experience and data gained via the project. One such example: The project was able to influence the pivot to hybrid teaching (Bain, S. 2020 ‘Hybrid teaching for academic year 2020-21’) and provide support for colleagues and students during the transition.
- Improvement on NSS scores: The Learn Foundations Project will be concluding at the end of the year with 22 Schools and Deaneries now using the Learn Foundations approach delivering greater consistency and a standard approach to course design on Learn across the University. Schools who are adopting a standardised approach to making materials available online are seeing this reflected in NSS scores.
- Student Feedback: Throughout the lifecycle of the project, feedback has been obtained from students (both from interns supporting the project and those engaged with via the programme of user research). At each stage of the project, the feedback obtained has supported the decision made via the project and validated the work being undertaken is absolutely necessary to support our student population:
- “One thing that I really like about the School of Engineering template is the addition of a Course Activity Tracker to the course materials section that helps with keeping up to speed with the content being uploaded.”
- “Having taken courses in various schools throughout my time at University, I know from first-hand experience how a well-designed easy to navigate course page can improve my learning experience”
- “The way the template was designed meant that once I had taken the time to explore one course, I knew exactly where everything would be for each of my classes. Having all teaching materials divided by weeks within the Course Material folder has saved me so much time and effort as I know exactly what is expected of me each week”
- “It’s just nicer if things are structured consistently…sometimes I feel like I wish all courses did arrange their folders and things in the same way.”
- “The ease with which I could navigate my courses certainly made me more inclined to go the extra mile with my studies, for example, accessing further reading material”
- Library Resource Lists: Having a streamlined, consistent access to Resource Lists via Learn was found to be key to increasing student usage. ISG learning and teaching services are now joined up with a steady decrease of support calls (accessing Resource Lists via Learn) has been identified.
- Implementation: It was felt having a line in the sand for some Schools helped support the implementation of the Learn Foundations approach as there was a consistent messaging and supporting resources available for colleagues.
Could do better
- Training and support – Mixed Communications: While a comprehensive training plan was created at the outset of the project, uncertainty around the scope of the training arose as the project progressed. Better understanding and acceptance of the Training Work stream Lead and Project Trainer as having main responsibility for the shape and delivery of the training would be beneficial moving forward.
- Governance – Project Meetings: Given the variety of work streams within the Learn Foundations project, it was felt having smaller ‘work stream meetings’ may have been more effective and engaging than the Learn Foundations team meeting. Having smaller work stream meetings and then one person from each of these meetings attending the core team meeting and providing an update was felt to have been a better approach to the Learn Foundations team meetings.
- Governance – Deliverables: It was felt that the deliverables of the project were very abstract which caused challenges throughout the project as it wasn’t very clear what we needed to achieve out of the project and how we were going to achieve it. The deliverables should be SMART in order to allow for these to be achieved.
- Governance – RACI: We should be clear on what the project has set out to achieve and where the various members of the team fit into this. For the new project, a RACI should be competed in the initiation stage of the project rather than in Phase Two of Learn Foundations.
- Local accountability and support for local learning technologists: It was noted through the project that local accountability within Schools and Deaneries to deliver change varied, causing Learning Technologist involvement to vary also.
- Communications and Engagement – Engagement: The level of engagement wasn’t anticipated at the beginning of the project which impacted upon the resourcing as this ended up being resource heavy in the beginning to win trust and get buy-in. A significant programme of Communications and Engagement should be planned into the project in the first instance.
- Academic User Group: Dissemination of information: It was felt that using the Academic User Group to support with the dissemination of information (such as training and communications) within their peer groups may be an opportunity to enhance awareness of both as academic colleagues are more likely to listen to their academic peers.
- QA Directors: Liaising with School QA Directors was discussed as a mechanism that should be explored (alongside the Academic User Group) to help with the dissemination of information and to support with the buy-in of the approach.
Outstanding Issues
Throughout the course of the project, Learn Foundations worked as partners with 22 out of the 24 Schools and Deaneries with a further School working alongside the project resulting in 23 out of the 24 Schools and Deaneries adopting the Learn Foundations approach.
Acknowledgements
Thanks go to the entire team who have persevered with this project over a long period of time – in particular but not exclusive:
Student Interns and User Research student partners
Over the course of the project, we have had an overwhelming response rate from our student population and we would like to thank each and every one who interacted with the Learn Foundations project as we would have not been a success without your input.
We would especially like to thank: Felicia Akanabi, Hannah Glover, Olavo Mendes, Mellissa Muzawazi, Simon Lai, Jakub Wieczorkowski, Magda Matkovic, Anushka Patak, Triin Solengo, Sabrina Keating, Ioana Buzduga, Paulina Kliva Gulbe, Claudia Elijas Parra, Sophia Javid, Ruairi O’Hare, Alejandra Amaro Patino, Alan Kong, Sam Chrisp, Omar Kanyia, Zac Finch, Stella Dlamini, Shay Mansoori, Caitlin Cavanagh, Aisha Janki Akinola, Pablo Ruiz Barnada, Grace Grubbins, Laura Tokarska, Emily Masson, Cara McSherry, Thea Bailey, Claire Thomson, Patricijia Mendelyte, Ella Henderson, Ruby Pollok, Rory Shaw, Maree Yu, Martin Lewis, Hannah Guthrie-Carmichael, Martin Lewis, Cosmas Mwamwembe, Dariusz Dobaczewski, Elvis Tanwie, Caitlin Holmes, Thomasina Bowyer-Bower, Claudia Jones, Patrick Dougan, Hannah Whillis, Ife Komolafe, Tsholofelo Motswagole, India Somerside, Joan Kibagendi, Emma Calvert, Philip Jenkins, Lily Berman, Claire Thomson, Kathleen Swinglehurst, Catherine Jones, Hannah Clark,
Learning Teaching and Web Services Directorate
Duncan Stephen, Emma Horrell, Maz Nathoo, Ed Lithgow, Robyn Pritzker, Alan Hamilton, Rebecca Morris, Stuart Lamb Cromar, Stephannie Hay, Joe Currie, Sean Sweeney, James Slack, Andrew Millington, Tracey Madden, Lorna Campbell, Charley Farley, Neil McCormack, Kelly Hall, Wesley Kerr, Marcello Crolla,
Applications Directorate
Suran Perera, Ana Heyn, Anne Graham, Michael Sun, Colin Watt, Bill Lee, Geir Granum, Adam Wheavil.
School Contacts
Paul McLaughlin, Chris Mowat, Tim Stratford, Meredith Corey, Alex Burdford, Alice Heatley, Ross Galloway, Phil Larkman, Chris McKenzie, Eoghan Clarkson, Graeme Ferris, Kameliya Skerlava, Nick Dyson, Mate Veradi, Jon Beer, Chris Swift, Muireann Crowley, Renee Coetzee, Aran Ward-Sell, Martin Hawksey, Mike Johnstone, Eduardo Serafin, Stuart King, Keith Brunton, Karen Harris, Sarah Henderson, Alison Christie, Geoff Lee , Neil Davidson, Alta Mene, Fiona Giles, Hazel Blair, Kirsty Gardner, Anna Raczynski, Anne Haley, Samantha Brown, Ania Domagala, Katy McPhail, David McKain, Ewan McLeod, Herve Lacroix, Alisdair Kirkhope, Catriona Pickard , Jackie Barnhart, Cinzia Pusceddu, Paula Wilkie, Tina Harvey , Katie Urquhart, Megan Waller, David Cheseldine, Carne Burke, Yolanda Zapata-Perez, Vanessa Mather, Iain Sutherland, Lorna Berridge, David Horn.
Project Board
Jane Cornwell, Lisa Dawson, Victoria Dishon, EUSA VP Activities, EUSA VP Education, Jenni Houston, David Kluth, Angela Laurins, Celeste McLaughlin, Kacper Lyszkiewicz, Celeste McLaughlin, Paul McLaughlin, Fraser Muir, Esther Mijers, Michael Seery.
Academic User Group
Jo Alexjuk, Neil Buchanan, Robbie Bushe, Alex Chow, John Lee, Tara Morrison, Paul Norris, Iraklis Pantopolous, Chris Perkins, Shaun Phillips, Catriona Pickard, Richard Sowerby, Amy Hanson, Alethea Kelsey, Ewan McLeod, Brendan Owers, Kristina Pollock, Chris Sheridan, Lucy Wands, David Barrass, Richard Blyth, Steven O’Hagan, Stewart Smith, Alex Thomas, Patrick Walsh.
Project Team
Stuart Nicol, Karen Howie, Paul Smyth, Jon Jack, Laura Woods-Dunlop, Anne-Marie Scott, Ryan McIntosh, Lorraine Spalding, Angela Laurins.
Business Lead Comment:
This was a challenging and ambitious three-year project, which had to work very hard in the early stages to find definition and acceptance as a vitally important piece of work. Colleagues tend to assume that ISG projects relating to learning technology platforms are technical in nature, however Learn Foundations was very much about culture change. It was about changing the culture within on-campus programmes to pay more attention to the consistency and quality of the online teaching space; thinking about the Virtual Learning Environment as the hub of the online teaching space. This is quite a new approach from ISG and the lessons learned from this project will serve us well. In particular a focus on communications, engagement, user experience, student involvement and leadership, accessibility, and a general care for the online teaching space.
It should also be noted that Learn Foundations was successful both in-spite of, and because of, the Covid-19 pandemic. Things could have turned out much differently for this project, however the ability of the team to position the project as part of the response to the pandemic – lifting and shifting on-campus teaching online and at scale – was exemplary and extremely effective. Moving as many courses as possible into a consistent structure over the summer of 2020 helped both with the pandemic response, and with the project’s reach. The sheer number of students employed to help us do this – 47 as opposed to 10 the previous year, all of whom were inducted and supported at a distance – was a huge achievement, managed and led by Lee-Ann, our project manager.
This project has improved the Learn service immeasurably through culture change, rather than technical change. Evaluation and ongoing usability work demonstrates the impact it is having on student experience. The lessons we have learned from Learn Foundations will be caried forward into the next phase of service improvement work, the three-year Learn Ultra upgrade. Although a technical change, we now know that carrying forward the Learn Foundation approach into this new project will be central to its success.
Project Sponsors Comment:
I am very pleased that this project has met so many of its objectives- that is a credit to all involved. The project team, board and user groups have succeeded in engaging a wide range of stakeholders and ensured that the focus of the change was not on the technology but on the experience of students and staff. The work done by Learn Foundations puts us in an enviable position for going forward with more investment and development of our learning and teaching digital estate. Edinburgh University has a reputation in the sector for being a leader in learning technology practice, research and application. We measure ourselves against our peers and we spend time networking and sharing in our wider community. The Learn Foundation Project has won sector awards and plaudits from beyond the university and continues to be cited by other universities as a model from which they might learn.